


Initiating Courtship

by orphan_account



Series: The Crash, The Mode, And Everything In Between [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Bluepulse, Developing Relationship, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-07-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 14:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/888205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jaime Reyes pines with chips-and-dip, but not for long, because some things really are that easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Initiating Courtship

The fall for Bartholomew Allen the Second happened fast like a sonic boom, and the happening being one comparatively unforeseen. It was a crash, to put it in Impulse's words, when meaning the noun function instead of the incorrect adjective one Impulse so favored. It was a _mode_ crash, a very mode crash. It was a hard and hopeless crush that seized Jaime Reyes and his adolescent hormonal body by a storm and left him in the middle of this godforsaken desert where Bart was too cute and the possibility of rejection was too high and there was nothing to do except fitting into the role of the best friend and ride it out.

And it was getting pretty obvious. 

“I think Bart might be the only person who doesn't know by now,” Batgirl pointed out unhelpfully. “Which is pretty ridiculous. I mean, c'mon, has he not seen the way you've been staring at him since, like, forever?” By which point Jaime promptly choked on his mouthful of chips-and-dip.

“Uh...”

“I think you got a good chance, Blue, you guys are best friends,” she said.

**The Batgirl is correct. My data indicates that the Impulse is closer to no other human than you, his relatives excluded. Since humans are generally not prone to incestual relations, the probability of-**

“Shut up!” Jaime hissed, red in the face.

Batgirl gave him an offended look. “Just trying to help, Beetle. Thought you could us a little encouragement, but, whatever.”

“Hey, lo siento, I wasn't talking to-” It was too late. She was too far away to heed his apology. Jaime sighed and returned to stuffing his mouth. In front of him, the television replayed last night's football game.

**I sense a decrease in dopamine level. You are not happy. You are frustrated.**

“That's because I am, ese,” he muttered back unpleasantly.

**I do not understand why you will not court the Impulse, Jaime Reyes.**

Jaime glowered as the opposing team scored a touchdown. “No.”

**You fear rejection. It is a pitiful fear.**

“Si, now let me watch my game, okay?”

**Court the Impulse. It is simple.**

“No!” 

The opposing team scored another touchdown. Jaime groaned. 

**Court him, and if he does not reciprocate your feelings, annihilate him!**

“Please, will you please, you out of all people, give me a break?” he pleaded. “You're attached to the back of mi columna, ese. I don't need the little voice in my head bothering me about Bart every time one of the match-makers on the team brings it up, okay? I deal with my feelings on my own.”

The scarab fell silent. He could feel it retreating his mind. Tranquility settled. He relaxed, albeit still gloomy from the double-talk. At least one thing good came out of months of no mission and pining after Bart; Khaji Da was beginning to learn how to give him proper space in daily lives and personal thoughts. Whereas before it would list in details thirty different viable ways he could go about incinerating Bart should a confession go wrong, now it would only make one to two generic death threats. That was good, because whomever Jaime liked was his business and he needed no help. He was a mature sixteen year old; he could bear it out until he gathers the courage. Or for when Bart gets a little older.

A good while later, Jaime was almost on the verge of forgetting how illegally attractive Bart was when said jailbait zipped into the room directly in his line of vision.

“Hola, amigo!” Bart yelled as he grabbed the bowl of chips-and-dip off Jaime's lap and threw himself in place, bouncing. “Long mission, dude, it wastoootallycrash! I ran across the entire continent of Australia twice and kicked some major baddies so cool like all the Freezes were there tryin'a turn the place into an iceland and connect it with their base in Antarctica and now I'mhungryalsoIateallyourchickenwhizzesbeforehandthoughtyou should know! AlsoIheardfromBatgirlthat you totally have like a biiiigcrushonme. I'm sure she didn't mean to let it slip but sheseemedkindofannoyed when I saw her like she said'sorry'andall so I'm sure it was an accident. Anyway now that I know we both like each other we can be superboyfriendsyesyesyes? What do you say 'Er-Man-Oh? I'm totally gamed!”

Blood drained off Jaime's face, partly because the way Bart was squirming was creating some interest frictions down south, partly because- “W-Wait, what?! What did she say? What did _you_ say?!"

 **The Impulse has initiated courtship,** the scarab interpreted helpfully.

“I think it's a crash idea!” Bart declared, waving his arms as wide as he could. “You and me, together? I mean-” His face fell concernedly. “-she didn't lie, did she? 'Cause that'd be embarrassing now.” 

“I- no- I mean yes! Wait, no... Are you asking me out?” 

Bart nodded.

“...Just like that?”

“Do I have to do it any other way?”

“I-” Jaime blinked. “I guess not. I, um,” he blushed, “I'd love to, ese..." 

“Awesome! We're superboyfriends now! Woohoo!” Bart happily tilted his head to peck Jaime on the lips before wiggling to get comfortable, munching away on chips-and-dip. “So who's winning the game?”


End file.
